


Awakening

by tatooedlaura



Series: Life [11]
Category: The X-Files
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-30 14:20:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8536480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatooedlaura/pseuds/tatooedlaura
Summary: Fire .. Mulder hated fire with a passion ...





	

She’d been dreaming of pleasant things and happy events and beautiful people and the warmth of the person snuggled against her backside so when she was woken up by the blaring of a fire alarm, the smell of smoke and the pounding on her door of some nameless entity who, from the sound of it, was at least 17 feet tall, weighted 400 pounds and had fists the size and mass of cast-iron skillets, she had absolutely no idea what planet, universe or realm of consciousness she existed in.

Mulder, for his part, flew off the couch, stumbling over her legs but remaining upright, scooping her into his arms before she had a chance to take in a second smoky breath. The jackhammer on the front door stopped once Mulder shouted in the general direction of the banging that they were on their way outside. Carrying her towards the door, she had just enough grasp of reality to undo the deadbolt and turn the knob, surveying the scattered stream of individuals struggling past them for a moment before Mulder joined them, heading towards the outside world through the haze of grease-fire stench.

When she’d involuntarily threw her arms around his neck, she’d felt her back twinge but as her face banged against his once, twice, three times as he galloped down the front steps, she thanked God that it was her good cheekbone and not her broken one clashing with his. Once the group of them had gotten to the sidewalk and woven through the fire trucks to wait it out on the opposite side of the street, Mulder finally seemed to realize he was outside and Scully was in his arms, “morning. How are you?”

Blinking at him, “I don’t know yet. I think I might still be mostly asleep. Is my apartment on fire?”

He shifted her as carefully as possible, then, “not yours but somebody’s is.” Turning around slightly to give her a better view of the red flashing lights, the men in thick, gray gear and the backdrop of billowing smoke emerging from a second story window, “you know who lives up there?”

She shook her head, “no, but I hope they got out.” Suddenly feeling highly awkward five feet off the ground in such a surreal atmosphere she asked him quietly to put her down, “thank you but I think I’m okay to stand.”

Setting her carefully on the cement, he gave her a critical look, meeting her eyes with a vibrant green intensity, “are you okay? Did I hurt you when I picked you up? It was the fastest way to get you out and I had no idea what was happening so I just did it. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I’m okay, see?” She rolled her shoulders carefully, wincing but not feeling the overwhelming pinch of death in her upper back, “I hurt but nothing like the last two days, I promise.” Giving him a good stare back, she took his hand in hers, “you can sleepwalk me out of a burning building anytime you want to.”

Letting go of her briefly, he turned her so her back was to him, surveying the bandage over her stitches to make sure it was still intact before pulling her close to him, weaving the fingers of both hands with hers, careful not to press against her and the ugly bruise he could see peeking out above her shirt collar.

Silence continued for another hour while people found places to sit or lean, wondering if an all-clear was in their future or if they should be attempting to call relatives to come get them. Mulder had settled them on the curb about 15 feet down from the crowd, sitting on the sidewalk with Scully nestled between his thighs, the chill of the morning making her shiver every few minutes. Luckily, there were blankets passed out after a bit and they wrapped themselves in those, waiting it out, huddled together under the now clear blue sky.

Finally, the smoke stopped exiting the window, the firemen began rolling hose and the residents started to stand, gathering back together as a group to listen to instructions.

The fire was out but the smoke damage looked to be severe; the owner of the origin apartment was at the hospital but would be just fine; the residents could go back to their apartments but were instructed to either gather things and leave again or open windows and hope for the best. They were all assured that the fire had been confined to the stove and kitchen floor, that there was absolutely no danger in going back inside.

No one from the crowd moved, however, so Mulder swallowed, then retrieved Scully’s hand from under the blanket, “come on.”

Once they’d moved, others followed and Scully’s eyes began watering the minute she entered the main door. Coughing hurt but she didn’t see anyway around it and doubling over, her back muscles screamed as she tried to take even a shallow breath between hacking fits. Mulder immediately turned her around, taking her back outside to the front stoop, tightening the blanket around her shaking frame, “hang on for a minute. I’m gonna go get the keys and put you in the car, then I’ll deal with the apartment.”

She wasn’t about to argue.

Soon, she was settled in his passenger seat, worried about Mulder’s lungs while she sat out still gulping fresh air. She didn’t have to worry too long, given he was back and opening the trunk not five minutes later, having packed up a suitcase for her while inside. Opening the driver door and dropping into the seat, she could see his watering eyes, “are you okay?”

Mulder waved a hand at her while vainly attempting to clear his throat. His answer came out in crackling, low octaves, “I will be but I need a shower badly and some food and did I mention a shower. I opened the windows and it’s not too bad but I wouldn’t stay there for at least a few days.” Seeing her nod, he continued, “your bedroom was fine because the door was closed and I threw some stuff in your suitcase for you, toothbrush, mundane crap like that, skipped the thongs and little black dresses though. Gotta say, the turquoise lace number did tempt me though.”

Finding herself blushing even though she had no turquoise lace numbers, she looked out the windshield, pink cheeks contrasting with chilled white skin, feeling the need to be a little saucy back, even with the circumstances surrounding their morning, “if you had really been in that drawer, Mulder, you would have found more interesting things to ask about when you got in the car.”

That went straight to his groin, no stopping, standing or parking, and he started the car with a twist of the key, “Agent Scully, such talk in light of tragic events.”

“We avoided tragedy today. I say we thank our lucky stars and go get you cleaned up because, as much as I love the fact that you braved smoke for me, you stink.”

Pulling into the street, “we should really be more distraught that your home almost burned to the ground.”

“I’m going to blame it on the adrenaline rush and no one getting badly hurt. Smoke can be cleaned and if I had to choose between ashes and smoke, I’ll take smoke and be happy about it.”

He sobered quickly, shaking his head, “I hate fire.”

“I know, which I why I owe you big time for being rational enough to scoop and run.”

“Wasn’t so much rationality as the exponentially frightening, rampant thought that I might lose you. Makes a man move very fast.”

Her hand snaked over to where his rested on the shifter, “thank you.”

Bringing the hand to his mouth momentarily, he rubbed her knuckles across his lips, “you are very welcome.”

&&&&&&&&&&

Scully made a surprised sound when she finally looked at the clock on the dashboard, “is it really only 7:30? It feels like we’ve been up for hours.”

As Mulder slowed in front of the diner around the corner from his apartment, parking haphazardly, “I’m gonna run in and get some breakfast. What do you want? Omelette and yogurt? Oatmeal and fruit?”

Licking her lips at the thought, “waffles, extra crispy bacon … hell, why don’t I just come in with you.”

Moving to get out of the car, she was standing before Mulder undid his seatbelt, silent until he was beside her, “um, you realize you’re in your pajamas, right?”

“I’m so hungry, Mulder, I couldn’t care less.”

“Then lead on.”

Soon, they were in Mulder’s apartment, laden with one suitcase and three bags of takeout, which were filled with enough food for breakfast, brown-bagging it for lunch and dinner for the pair. “We could have just went back out later when we get hungry.”

“But I wanted it all, Mulder and given how much you complain about me not eating enough, I thought this would make you happy.” She said this with a sarcastically teasing tone while her head was buried in bag number one, “do I want my chicken wrap or my waffles for breakfast and do I need to cook the bacon some more first or just deal with the fact that it’s not burned to a crisp?”

Shaking his head in amusement as he mustered up some plates for them, “you’d think you’d want to avoid anything involving frying and grease about now.”

Already with a piece of bacon hanging from her lips, “good point. Gonna shower after you eat?”

“Do you care?”

“Nope. Just asking, mostly because if you chose before I would have to put this bacon back and wait to eat it with you.”

He stopped for a second, “you’d wait for me to eat?”

Scully shrugged at him, feeling the heat rise on her cheeks, her fractured bone throbbing with the rush of blood, “sure. It’s nice to share meals with someone.”

Giving her a smile, “very true but I’ll wait until after.” By the time she had finished eating, having forgotten to choose softer foods in favor of crunchy bacon and vibrating toast, her face ached, her wincing not escaping Mulder’s scrutiny. Getting up to throw out their trash, he returned with a bag of frozen peas, “why don’t you put these on your cheek while I’m showering. It looks like the swelling’s back.”

“Feels like it’s back, too, and I’ve got a headache starting.”

“Well, you know where the Tylenol is so help yourself and go lay down for awhile.”

Feeling this would be a wonderful way to kill a half-hour, she started towards the bedroom, “enjoy your cleaning.”

“Always.”

&&&&&&&&&

Scully woke an hour later, longer than she’d planned but feeling better, the peas half melted on the towel next to her. Rolling carefully from the mattress, she moved to the living room, finding Mulder asleep, stretched out on the couch, stocking feet dangling over the armrest. About to leave him be and take her own version of a shower, her phone rang …

… and they were off.


End file.
